UK and Ireland brace for heatwave as weekend temperatures rise

A cold front is bringing cooler, cloudy conditions to the United Kingdom on Saturday, with highs of 25‑26 °C in the south‑east and 16‑18 °C in the west and Scotland. The front will clear by Sunday, allowing sunshine to return and temperatures to climb again early next week, with forecasts warning of highs reaching 40 °C on the continent and a potential surface temperature of 45 °C during the heatwave.

In Ireland, forecasters expect a wet start on Friday but a dry, sunny weekend thereafter. Saturday is projected to be mostly dry with highs of 22 °C, while Sunday should remain dry with temperatures up to 23 °C. Monday may see a brief return of heavy showers, yet overall temperatures will rise to 25 °C. A continental airmass could push Irish highs into the high 20s later in the week.

Both nations are preparing for the upcoming heatwave, which could affect public health, transport and energy use as humidity remains high and temperatures climb sharply after the weekend.